Overall, the 2021 GMC Acadia does not differ in any major ways from the 2020 GMC Acadia—there are no major powertrain or performance changes—but there are a few cosmetic changes that could influence which car you want to purchase.

Marketed as a mid-size SUV, the GMC Acadia is well known for being a well-crafted vehicle that doesn’t disappoint when it comes to tech and safety features. After its redesign in 2020, the GMC Acadia has only gotten better.

But is there actually a difference between the two model years? To help answer that question, we’ve put together the following article breaking down the similarities and differences between the 2021 GMC Acadia and 2020 GMC Acadia.

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2021 GMC Acadia vs. 2020 GMC Acadia: what’s the difference?

Honestly? Not a whole lot. In terms of powertrain options, body style, and trim levels, the GMC Acadia has remained functionally the same between the 2021 and 2020 model years, with the biggest differences being purely cosmetic.

This is largely due to the fact that the Acadia was redesigned for the 2020 model year, meaning it’ll be another few years before the model sees another significant shake-up.

Pricing

That’s not to say there aren’t any differences between the 2021 GMC Acadia and the 2020 GMC Acadia, especially when it comes to price.

For a full breakdown of how the MSRPs for each GMC Acadia trim level changed between each model year, see the table below:

Model	2021 MSRP	2020 MSRP
GMC Acadia SL FWD	$29,800	$29,800
GMC Acadia SLE FWD	$33,900	$33,800
GMC Acadia SLE AWD	$37,100	$36,200
GMC Acadia SLT FWD	$39,100	$39,700
GMC Acadia SLT AWD	$41,100	$41,700
GMC Acadia AT4 AWD	$41,400	$42,200
GMC Acadia Denali FWD	$46,600	$46,300
GMC Acadia Denali AWD	$48,600	$48,300

For the most part, prices remained quite similar—but some trim levels saw hardly noticeable price increases or even decreases as they moved to the 2021 model year.

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General specs

Due to the 2020 redesign, we don’t actually see a change in the GMC Acadia’s general specifications as we move to the 2021 model year.

	2021 GMC Acadia	2020 GMC Acadia
Base engine	2.5L 4-cylinder engine (193 horsepower)	2.5L 4-cylinder engine (193 horsepower)
Turbo engine	2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder (230 horsepower)	2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder (230 horsepower)
AT4 engine	3.6L V6 engine (310 horsepower)	3.6L V6 engine (310 horsepower)
Transmission	9-speed automatic	9-speed automatic
Drivetrain	FWD (AWD available on some trim levels)	FWD (AWD available on some trim levels)
Maximum towing capacity	4,000 lbs	4,000 lbs

There is absolutely no difference between the 2021 GMC Acadia and 2020 GMC Acadia when it comes to their general specifications—they have the exact same powertrain, transmission, and drivetrain options.

Dimensions

The 2021 GMC Acadia and 2020 GMC Acadia share the same basic dimensions: both are capable of seating 7 passengers, feature approximately 143.8 cubic feet of total passenger volume, and have a maximum cargo capacity of 79.0 cubic feet.

It’s all well and good to say that the model seats seven passengers, but how comfortable will they actually be? For a full breakdown of seating dimensions, take a look at the chart below:

	2021 GMC Acadia	2020 GMC Acadia
Front headroom	40.0 inches	40.0 inches
Front shoulder room	59.4 inches	59.4 inches
Front hip room	55.7 inches	55.7 inches
Front legroom	41.0 inches	41.0 inches
Second-row headroom	39.6 inches	39.6 inches
Second-row shoulder room	58.7 inches	58.7 inches
Second-row hip room	53.3 inches	53.3 inches
Second-row legroom	39.7 inches	39.7 inches
Third-row headroom	37.2 inches	37.2 inches
Third-row shoulder room	54.3 inches	54.3 inches
Third-row hip room	42.9 inches	42.9 inches
Third-row legroom	29.7 inches	31.1 inches

If you look at the third-row legroom, you’ll see that the 2021 GMC Acadia actually loses 1.4 inches in an already-cramped back seat.

Fuel economy

As they have virtually the same powertrains and chassis, the 2021 GMC Acadia and 2020 GMC Acadia will have the exact same estimated fuel economy. With either model year, you can expect 21 mpg city / 27 mpg highway / 24 mpg combined.

This isn’t spectacular as far as fuel efficiency is concerned, but it is fairly average—if not slightly below average—for modern mid-size SUVs.

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Safety ratings

There’s also very little difference between the 2021 GMC Acadia and 2020 GMC Acadia’s safety ratings. Both were awarded 5 stars by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and received a “Good” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Let’s first take a look at what areas the NHTSA actually tested and how the vehicle performed in specific tests:

Front driver side crash test—five stars

Front passenger side crash test—four stars

Overall side crash test—five stars

Rollover resistance—four stars

One of the only areas where both model years suffer when it comes to safety—at least as far as the IIHS is concerned—is the headlights, which were only given a “Marginal” rating due to inadequate roadway illumination.

Standard safety features for both model years include:

Child safety locks

Daytime running lights

Cross-traffic alert

Traction control

Blind spot monitoring

Styling and interior changes

When it comes down to it, the biggest changes between the two model years have to do with interior and exterior styling. The 2021 GMC Acadia takes away a few exterior color options, including:

Red Quartz Tintcoat

Carbon Black Metallic

Dark Sky Metallic

Smokey Quartz Metallic

Quicksilver Metallic

But it adds the following color options:

Cayenne Red Tintcoat

Midnight Blue Metallic

Hunter Metallic (only available on the Denali)

Of course, paint colors aren’t the only cosmetic changes—other interior changes for the 2021 model year include:

Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay now standard for all trim levels

Urethane steering wheel now standard on the SL and SLE trim levels

Leather-wrapped steering wheel now standard on the SLT and AT4 trim levels

Head-up display (HUD) and a leather-wrapped, heated steering wheel now standard for the Denali trim

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2021 GMC Acadia vs. 2020 GMC Acadia: which should you buy?

At the end of the day, the differences between the 2021 GMC Acadia and 2020 GMC Acadia are so minor that it’s hard to say whether one is definitively better than the other. However, it is safe to say the 2021 GMC Acadia is a slightly better deal given that it adds a few standard features without significantly driving up the price.

Seeing as there were several paint colors removed and a few added for the 2021 model year, exterior paint color options may very well be the deciding factor for some buyers.

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